Method for the production of a piece of jewelry

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a method for producing a piece of jewelry. In said method, several glass particles are permanently joined together, at least some of said glass particles previously being provided with a coating in at least some areas.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a piece of jewelry and also to a piece of jewelry produced by this method.

The prior art comprises a large number of methods for making pieces of jewelry from glass. Best known among these are methods in which a glass blank is provided with visually attractive surfaces, for example facets, by cutting and grinding. Other production methods provide for particles to be melted into a glass melt in order in this way to make a visually attractive gemstone from glass. However, in the case of the last-described method, it has been found that it is difficult to produce a piece of jewelry in which it is possible to arrange the particles in a predetermined manner. The object of the present invention is therefore to improve these drawbacks of the prior art.

This object is achieved by a method for producing a piece of jewelry, in which a plurality of glass particles are permanently joined together, at least some of the glass particles having previously been provided with a coating, at least in certain regions.

A method of this type not only allows a piece of jewelry to be produced in which the glass particles are joined together beforehand in a well-ordered arrangement, preferably by sintering: rather, it is also possible, when defining a specific positioning scheme in which the glass particles are arranged, to achieve an effect in which an effect is achieved corresponding to the appearance of the iris of an eye. Preferably, provision is in this case made for the glass particles to have been provided with a metallic coating, wherein the most visually attractive effects were attained when the coating comprises silver and/or gold. The coating can be applied, in methods known per se, by means of CVD (chemical vapor deposition), PVD (physical vapor deposition) or powder coating or other suitable methods. It is also conceivable for the coating to be non-metallic in its embodiment. The coating could for example consist substantially of one or more mineral substances.

Visually attractive effects were in this case attained if the glass particles are substantially spherical in their embodiment. In this case, provision is made for the glass particles to have a diameter of from 0.5 mm to 20 mm, preferably from 1 mm to 7 mm, particularly preferably from 1 to 3 mm. In the simplest case, provision is made for the glass particles to be joined together by heating, preferably by partial melting; in the ideal case, it is envisaged that the glass particles be joined together by sintering.

After the joining of the glass particles, a further improvement step provides for the possibility of smoothing the surface of the piece of jewelry which has already been produced. This can be carried out in a manner known per se, for example by cutting, grinding and/or polishing. Deliberate roughening at specific points, in order to attain matting effects, is likewise conceivable. It is in this case visually attractive if the glass body is faceted as a result of the smoothing step. The smoothing step could in this case be carried out in such a way that, in the case of the glass particles which lie at the surface and which, as a result of the sintering-together, may also still be recognized as such, a sufficient amount of glass is removed that at least one quarter of the diameter, preferably about half of the glass particle, is removed, so that the clear cut face lies at the surface and the coated back, from which no material has been removed, is arranged inside the glass.

By selecting the suitable joining step by, for example sintering, it is possible to form in certain regions of the glass body gas pockets which, in particular, intensify the visual impression in the case of a suitable arrangement toward an “iris”.

Further advantages and details of the invention will be described with reference to the subsequent figures and description of the figures, in which:

FIG. 1-3 show method steps for producing different pieces of jewelry using the method according to the invention.

In FIG. 1, A shows the first step of the method according to the invention, in which a plurality of glass particles 1 are arranged in a predetermined positioning scheme. All of the glass particles 1 are provided in their entirety with a gold coating which is a few micrometers thick. The transition to Illustration B is marked by two arrows in which, firstly, the individual glass particles 1 are sintered together. Subsequently, the surface is treated, so that a faceted surface is obtained. In Illustration B, it may be seen that a large number of the glass particles are in certain regions, owing to the sintering step, melted together and were thus slightly deformed. Subsequently, the surface was ground to the extent that, in most of the glass particles 1, at least half the thickness was removed. It may also be seen that in the region in which the glass particles 1, which in the present example were spherical in their embodiment, [. . . ], air pockets can occur at those locations where initially no very tight packing was possible owing to the spherical shape of the particles. Illustrations A′ and B′ indicate the cross sections of illustrations A and B. The illustration of FIG. 1 shows a flower-like pattern, wherein the remaining particles were arranged circularly around a central particle. If a further series of glass particles are added (Illustration C), then this produces a pattern corresponding to that of an iris of an eye.

FIG 2. is a plan view of a different arrangement of individual glass particles of roughly the same diameter, some glass particles having a coating (marked with a dot), some glass particles having no coating and some glass particles also having coloring (marked with x). In this case too, the glass particles are in the first step sintered together and subsequently ground.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment in which different sized glass particles were placed together without a predefined positioning order and were sintered together and ground. This also produces a visually attractive pattern.

Particularly attractive effects are attained if gas pockets (air bubbles), which are generally produced by selecting suitable joining conditions, are present in the piece of jewelry. Depending on the type of glass particles, recrystallisation effects may also occur, producing a further interesting effect and a recoloring of the color coating. 

1. A method for producing a piece of jewelry, where a plurality of glass particles are permanently joined together, wherein at least some of the glass particles have been previously been provided with a coating at least in certain regions.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass particles have been provided with a metallic coating.
 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the coating comprises silver, gold or a combination thereof.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coating is applied by means of CVD, PVD or powder coating.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coating is non-metallic in its embodiment.
 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the coating comprises a mineral substance.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass particles are substantially spherical in their embodiment.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the glass particles have a diameter of from 0.5 mm to 20 mm.
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass particles are arranged in a specific scheme prior to the joining step.
 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass particles are joined together by heating.
 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass particles are joined together by sintering.
 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the joining step the surface of the piece of jewelry is smoothed.
 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the smoothing step is carried out by cutting, grinding, polishing or a combination.
 14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the glass body is faceted as a result of the smoothing step.
 15. The method according to claim 13, wherein during the smoothing step, at least in the case of some of the joined glass particles arranged at the surface of the piece of jewelry, the glass particle is removed up to the center point thereof.
 16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conditions of the joining step are selected in such a way that gas pockets form in certain regions of the glass body. 